Galatea is a moon of Neptune, part of the Solar System in the universe. Neptune is a planet associated with the Sun, our star, and this space encyclopedia describes the moon’s identity and place in its planetary system.

Galatea — A natural satellite of Neptune. Its physical properties and orbital motion are shown from the available catalogue and ephemeris data.

No object-specific chemical/elemental dataset has been verified and imported for this record. This does not mean none is publicly available. Appearance may be imagined; chemistry is not.

Discovery and designation
Galatea was discovered in 1989. JPL credits Voyager Science Team. Its provisional designation is S/1989 N4. The name and discovery entry identify this particular satellite of Neptune; similarly named asteroids are separate objects.

Galatea was discovered in July 1989 by the Voyager 2 science team.

Galatea is another of Neptune's tiny moons. Small and irregularly-shaped like Despina, Galatea orbits in the same direction as Neptune and is relatively close to the gas giant's equatorial plane. The small moon's gravity is believed to cause disturbances in Neptune's ring system. It was found in the same month scientists discovered ring arcs, or partial rings, that were suspected to exist around Neptune.

Galatea circles Neptune every 10 hours and 18 minutes.

Galatea was a sea nymph who attended to Poseidon (the Roman god Neptune). The nymphs are also known as the Nereids. The moon was originally designated S/1989 N 4.